Final Project- Medieval Group

   Early during the medieval period, dancing was either disregarded or declared corrupt by the church. However, with its increasing popularity, the church took a more lenient view and by the end of the middle ages it was sometimes even incorporated into worship. Dancing benefited both the rich and poor because it was a way to promote unity and identity. Dancing required no special skills, just the ability to learn and have fun, and each town had their own unique dance. The peasants danced recklessly, applause going to the fastest and most enduring. Their rough and unrefined way of celebrating was often sneered at by the nobility who prized fancy footwork, twists, and swirls in their more sedate and formal dancing. Regardless of the class of people, dancing was used at all types of celebrations. In the villages, dances signified the birth of a child, marriage, or the beginning of a season and would span the streets of the village, accompanied by drums, lute, tambourine, and bells. In the lives of royals, dances provided entertainment and a reason to gather nobility in one place, often accompanied by timpani drums, lute, bells, and singing.
   Medieval dances represent the rich culture from all over Europe and are the precursor to much modern dancing. Many of our modern line dances and the traditional cultural dances are taken in part from the varied medieval dances. Dances were for couples or groups and they had many different types for different occasions. This small list gives an idea of the myriad options available to the medieval dancers: Circle dances included Carol, Sellingers Round, Official Branle, Estampie, and Saltarello; Court Dances included Basse Dance, Black Alman, Black Nag, and Rufty Tufty; Line Dances included Prince William, La Spagna, the Morris Dance, and the Jig; Country (Folk) Dances include Scottish Dances, the Egg Dance, Ballet, Quadrille, Pavan, Farandole, and Burgundian dance.
    Clothing in the Medieval era varied depending on social class. Most people wore woolen clothing with linen undergarments. The brighter and more elaborate one's garment, the wealthier one was, because of the expense of the dyes and delicate handiwork represented. The Sumptuary Laws distinguished seven social categories and required people dress according to their class, so that people wouldn't live above their means. For men, the tunic was the base of their outfit, accompanied by hose or trousers. The kirtle was the common denominator of women's attire, accompanied by a cloak and various other outergarments.
   Every aspect of medieval life was colored by the prejudices and rules of the class system, whether it was in dancing or the way they dressed.

P.S. You do not have to comment on someone's blog this week- it would just be complimenting their research skills and that's redundant ;)